< Exodus 10 >

1 The Lord told Moses, “Go and see Pharaoh, because it was me who gave him and his officials a stubborn attitude so that I may perform my miracles before them.
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Go in unto Pharaoh, for I have declared hard his heart, and the heart of his servants, so that I set these My signs in their midst,
2 This is so you can tell your children and grandchildren how I made the Egyptians look foolish by doing these miracles among them, and so that you may know that I am the Lord.”
and so that thou recountest in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, that which I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have set among them, and ye have known that I [am] Jehovah.'
3 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long are you going to refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they can worship me.
And Moses cometh in — Aaron also — unto Pharaoh, and they say unto him, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of the Hebrews, Until when hast thou refused to be humbled at My presence? send My people away, and they serve Me,
4 If you refuse to let my people leave, tomorrow I will send a plague of locusts into your country.
for if thou art refusing to send My people away, lo, I am bringing in to-morrow the locust into thy border,
5 There will be so many of them that they'll cover the ground so no one can see it. They will eat whatever crops were left by the hail, as well as every tree growing in your fields.
and it hath covered the eye of the land, and none is able to see the land, and it hath eaten the remnant of that which is escaped, which is left to you from the hail, and it hath eaten every tree which is springing for you out of the field;
6 They will swarm into your houses and into the houses of all your officials—in fact into the houses of every Egyptian. This is something that none of your forefathers ever saw from the time they arrived in this country.’” Then Moses and Aaron turned and left Pharaoh.
and they have filled thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians, which neither thy fathers nor thy father's fathers have seen, since the day of their being on the ground unto this day,' — and he turneth and goeth out from Pharaoh.
7 Pharaoh's officials came to him and asked, “How long are you going to let this man cause us trouble? Let these people go so they can worship the Lord their God. Don't you realize that Egypt has been destroyed?”
And the servants of Pharaoh say unto him, 'Until when doth this [one] become a snare to us? send the men away, and they serve Jehovah their God; knowest thou not yet that Egypt hath perished?'
8 Moses and Aaron were brought back to see Pharaoh. “Go and worship the Lord your God,” he told them. “But who of you will be going?”
And Moses is brought back — Aaron also — unto Pharaoh, and he saith unto them, 'Go, serve Jehovah your God; — who and who [are] those going?'
9 “We will all go,” Moses replied. “Young and old, sons and daughters—and we'll take our flocks and herds with us, for we're going to have a religious festival for the Lord.”
And Moses saith, 'With our young ones, and with our aged ones, we go, with our sons, and with our daughters, with our flock, and our herd, we go, for we have a festival to Jehovah.'
10 “The Lord really would have to be with you if I let your children go with you!” Pharaoh answered. “Clearly you're planning some kind of evil trick!
And he saith unto them, 'Be it so, Jehovah [be] with you when I send you and your infants away; see — for evil [is] before your faces;
11 So no! Only the men can go and worship the Lord, because that's what you've been asking for.” Then he had Moses and Aaron thrown out.
not so! go now, ye who [are] men, and serve Jehovah, for that ye are seeking;' and [one] casteth them out from the presence of Pharaoh.
12 The Lord told Moses, “Lift up your hand over Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and eat every plant in the country—everything that was left by the hail.”
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Stretch out thy hand against the land of Egypt for the locust, and it goeth up against the land of Egypt, and doth eat every herb of the land — all that the hail hath left.'
13 Moses held out his staff over Egypt, and all through that day and night the Lord sent an east wind blowing over the land. By the time morning came the east wind had brought in the locusts.
And Moses stretcheth out his rod against the land of Egypt, and Jehovah hath led an east wind over the land all that day, and all the night; the morning hath been, and the east wind hath lifted up the locust.
14 The locusts swarmed across the land and settled in every part of the country. There had never been such a swarm of locusts ever before, and there won't be ever again.
And the locust goeth up against all the land of Egypt, and resteth in all the border of Egypt — very grievous: before it there hath not been such a locust as it, and after it there is none such;
15 They covered the ground until it looked black, and they ate up all the plants in the fields and all the fruit on the trees that had been left by the hail. Not a single green leaf was left on any tree or plant anywhere in Egypt.
and it covereth the eye of all the land, and the land is darkened; and it eateth every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail hath left, and there hath not been left any green thing in the trees, or in the herb of the field, in all the land of Egypt.'
16 Pharaoh called urgently for Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.
And Pharaoh hasteth to call for Moses and for Aaron, and saith, 'I have sinned against Jehovah your God, and against you,
17 So please forgive my sin just this one time and plead with the Lord your God, asking him to at least take away this deathly plague from me.”
and now, bear with, I pray you, my sin, only this time, and make ye supplication to Jehovah your God, that He turn aside from off me only this death.'
18 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.
And he goeth out from Pharaoh, and maketh supplication unto Jehovah,
19 The Lord changed the direction of the wind so that a strong westerly wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea. There wasn't a single locust left anywhere in Egypt.
and Jehovah turneth a very strong sea wind, and it lifteth up the locust, and bloweth it into the Red Sea — there hath not been left one locust in all the border of Egypt;
20 But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, and he would not let the Israelites go.
and Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of Pharaoh, and he hath not sent the sons of Israel away.
21 The Lord told Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky so that darkness will fall over Egypt, darkness so thick that it can be felt.”
And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Stretch out thy hand towards the heavens, and there is darkness over the land of Egypt, and the darkness is felt.'
22 Moses lifted up his hand toward heaven, and the whole of Egypt went completely dark for three days.
And Moses stretcheth out his hand towards the heavens, and there is darkness — thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days;
23 No one could see anyone else, and no one moved from where they were for three days. But there was still light where all the Israelites lived.
they have not seen one another, and none hath risen from his place three days; and to all the sons of Israel there hath been light in their dwellings.'
24 Eventually Pharaoh called for Moses. “Go and worship the Lord,” he said. “Just leave your flocks and herds here. You can even take your children with you.”
And Pharaoh calleth unto Moses and saith, 'Go ye, serve Jehovah, only your flock and your herd are stayed, your infants also go with you;'
25 But Moses replied, “You must also let us have animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings, so we can offer them to the Lord our God.
and Moses saith, 'Thou also dost give in our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings, and we have prepared for Jehovah our God;
26 Our livestock have to go with us too—not a single animal will be left behind. We'll need some of them to worship the Lord our God, and we won't know how we are to worship the Lord until we get there.”
and also our cattle doth go with us, there is not left a hoof, for from it we do take to serve Jehovah our God; and we — we know not how we do serve Jehovah till our going thither.'
27 But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, and he would not let them go.
And Jehovah strengtheneth the heart of Pharaoh, and he hath not been willing to send them away;
28 Pharaoh shouted at Moses, “Get out of here! I don't want to see you ever again! If I ever do see you again you'll die!”
and Pharaoh saith to him, 'Go from me, take heed to thyself, add not to see my face, for in the day thou seest my face thou diest;'
29 “May it be as you say,” Moses replied. “I won't see you again.”
and Moses saith, 'Rightly hast thou spoken, I add not any more to see thy face.'

< Exodus 10 >